A human rights group is calling on the international gay community to foster support for a UN statement on violations of human rights abuses based on sexual orientation and gender identity.

Representatives from Norway will be delivering a short oral statement at the United Nations Human Rights Council on Friday on the issue, and ARC activists want other countries to pledge their support.

The statement deals with the most severe human rights abuses , such as violence, torture and death, directed against people because of their sexual orientation and gender identity.

LGBT campaigners and supporters are being encouraged to contact their Foreign Ministry and UN Ambassador to urge them to support the statement.

The main States which have already joined, or might consider joining, the statement are Canada, New Zealand, Australia and the European Union have expressed their support for the statement.

The USA may support the statement with sufficient international support and domestic encouragement . Turkey joined an EU statement which included positive references to sexual orientation at the last Human Rights Council, and should be encouraged to join the EU countries in supporting the Norwegian statement at well.

Non-EU countries in Central and Eastern Europe should be encouraged to join the statement, such as Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Republic of Moldova, Serbia and Montenegro, the former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia, and the Ukraine .

Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, Uruguay and the Dominican Republic have already expressed their support. Other Latin American States that have been supportive in the past, and could be encouraged to join include Bolivia , Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Venezuela.

South Korea has expressed its support, but campaigners also want to encourage other Asian States, particularly Japan , Thailand , the Philippines and India to join as well.